Excavator.



No. 649,245. Patented May 8, I900.

0. HETLESAET-ER.

- EX'CAVATUR.

(Application filed Sept. 18, 1899.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

m: mums PErzns ca, PHUro-Lmm. WASMINGIUN, D. c.

No. 649,245. Patented May 8, I900.

o. HETLESAETER.

EXCAVATOR.

(Application filed Sept. 18, 1599. (No Model.) I 2 Sh.BBf.s--Sheat L THENoam! mans 50., mmumu. WASHINGTON. D- 0 Nrrsn STATES ATIENT Fmciei.

OLAF l-IETLESAETER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

EXCAVATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 649,245, dated May S,1900.

Application filed September 18,1899. Serial No. 730,829. (No model.)

whereby positive and complete control of the bucket may be had in allpositions thereof, and, second, to provide means whereby the bucket maybe controllabl y thrust or crowded into the bank with a force additionalto the force derived from the hoisting mechanism. -I attain theseobjects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 is a side view of an excavator mounted upon arailway-car and shows the linked bucket-arm supported upon the boom andoperated by the hoisting-cable. Said figure also shows thecontrolling-engines mounted on said boom and the controlling-linkconneeting the controlling-crank to the thrustsegment. A portion of theoscillating lever is broken away to expose the controlling gearwheelsand said controlling-crank. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the excavator andcar, the portions of the bucket-arm above the central supporting-bearingof the oscillating lever being removed to show the arrangement of thecontrolling engines and gears. Fig. 3 is a plan view of thethrust-segment, showing the relative positions of the bucket-handle andoscillating lever. 7

Similar letters referto similar part-s throughout the several views.

A represents a car \vhereon is mounted machinery suitable for furnishingthe necessary power to the moving parts of the excavator. Upon theplatform a of said car rest the stanchions a a, whereby the top frame (0is supported. Theboom B consists of the parallel beams B B, rigidly heldin their proper relative positions and having a pivotbearingb in'thesaid top frame a The boomsupport C, consisting of the beams C C, issocured at its lower extremity to the pint-leguide the said cable Dvertically through the apertured pint-le-plate c and base-plate c, andthereby convert the lateral motion of the'forward extremity of saidcable into torsion, confined within said cable between said idlers a and0 The lateral position of said boom and support is governed by means ofthe cable 11', Working in the peripherallygrooved sheave orsluing-circle attached to said boom B, concentrically with the bearing1). Each of the said beams B B is securely attached at its forwardextremity to the laterally-adjacent one of the said beams C C, wheresaid beams form journal-bearings for the shaft b The oscillating lever Eis pivoted upon said shaft b and consists of the parallel plates 6 6,connected at their upper extremities by means of the pin 6' and at theirlower extremities by means of the pin 6 The thrust-segment F has abearing f, whereby it is pivotally supported upon said pin 6- at theupper extremity of the oscillatin g lever E. Said segment consists of aplate resembling in outline a half -disk with the said bearing fapproximately at the center of curvature. In the curved periphery ofsaid segment is the groove f, which servesasa guide forthe cable D. Nearthe forward extremity of said groove f is a pin d, whereby said cable isattached to said segment F.

From said pin d the cable D takes rearward extremity with a yoke g,spanning the excavator-bucket H. Said bucket is of the ordinary patternand is attached to said handle G by means of studs g, secured to thesides of said bucket and extending through the arms of said yoke g atthe lower extremity thereof. The bucket is further secured to saidhandle G by means of the brace 9 one extremity whereof is fastened tosaid bucket and the other extremity whereof is fastened to said handle.

The bucket H is provided with the swinging bottom 72, hung upon thehinges 7t, pivotally supported on said bucket by means of the pins 7L2.At the forward portion of the bucket 11 and pivotally attached theretoby means of the trunnions 71,3 are the two bucketlinks K, one on eachside of the bucket, extending to and connected with the lower extremityof the oscillating lever E. Said trunnions h are located on oppositesides of the bucket, and said links K are preferably bowed so as toextend from said trunnions to the inthe bucket is adequate andparticularlyadapted to the requirements of the lighter machines; but inthe larger excavators, to which my present invention is especiallyapplicable, it is desirable that the thrust of the bucket should be atall times and in all positions under the immediate and complete controlof the operators. To this 'end a positive-actin g controlling mechanismhas been devised consisting of certain parts hereinafter described.

The controlling-crank M consists of the arms m m, keyed or securelyattached in any other suitable manner to the shaft b Said arms m mextend in the same direction and have rigidly fixed thereto near theirouter extremities the pin m; The controlling-link N has a box a and capit, inclosing said pin m, and is thus pivotally connected with saidcrank M. By means of the pin n the said lever N is pivotally connectedwith the segment F at a point on the forward portion thereof, preferablynear the said pin (Z. By this construction the pivots f and n are onopposite sides of the segment F, approximately equidistant from thebearing f thereof. Rigidly attached to the said shaft b by means of akey or in any other suitable manner are the spur-gearso o. Said gears o0 are preferably located one at each side of the boom B, between theplates e e of the oscillating lever E and the beams B B of said boom.The gears o o intermesh with said gears o 0 and are keyed to thecounter-shafts 0 0*. Said shafts o 0 have a bearing in the beams B and Oand project beyond said beams sufliciently to support the said gears o 0at the interior of said boom and to support the gears o 0 at theexterior thereof. Said gears o 0 are also keyed to said counter-shafts o0 and intermesh with the gears o 0. In relative sizes the gears o 0 aresmaller than the gears o 0 and the gears o' 0 smaller than the gears 00. The purpose in employing double reduction gears, as described, is toreduce the size of the engines necessary to furnish sufficient power tooperate the controlling crank M. Securely mounted upon each i one of thebeams B B of the boom B, longitudinally thereof, are thecontrolling-engines 'P P, whose crank-shafts p p are in line and carrythe said gears o 0, rigidly attached thereto. Said engines are of theordinary double-actin g slide-valve type and for convenience are placedwith the cylinders 19 thereof toward the rear of the boom 13.. To avoidthe possibility of dead-center, said engines are placed with theircranks at an angle of about ninety degrees apart.

Steam is supplied to the cylinders 1) by means of the pipes Q Q, whichconnect with the throttle-valve q, located at a convenient point on theboom B, far enough to the rear thereon to clear the thrust'segment E andcable D when the bucket-arm is in any position. A series of rods andbell-crank levers marked 1- r connects the said throttle-valve q withthe throttle-lever It, located at a forward portion of the boom B,within reach of a cranesman standing upon the platform S. Said platformis suspended from the supports O by means of the hangers s and ispreferably located ata forward portion of the boom, in order that thecrancsmau standing thereon may more easily watch and control the bucketI-I. said platform S, are provided for safety and convenience. Thesteam-pipe T, leading from the source of steam-supply on the body of theexcavator, is flexibly connected with the said throttle-valve q on theboom B by means of the steam-hose t.

In the operation of the machine when the driving mechanism inducestension in the cable D the force thereof is transmitted to thethrust-segment F; but said segment is capable of two separate motions,which may occur simultaneously-namely, a rotary or oscillatory motionabout the pivot e and a swinging motion, together with the oscillatinglever E, about the shaft b Therefore the force of said cable is resolvedinto two components, whereof one is effective in producing the retationof said segment about the pivot 6, resulting in a downward thrust of thebuckethandle G and bucket 11 directly toward the bank. The othercomponent of the force of said cable is effective in producing theswinging of the segment F and lever E, together with the other membersof the bucket-arm, about the shaft b thus resulting in a forward motionof the bucket. As the grooved A hand-rail s and steps 3 s", leading toperiphery of the segment F is approximately thrust of the bucket due tothe force of the cable is insufficient, or when it is desired to feedthe bucket directly into the bank independently of the hoisting-cable,the cranesman upon the platform S opens the throttle g by means of thelever B and causes the engines P to drive the controlling-gear in such adirection as to raise the forward extremity of the crank M, and therebyraise the link N relatively to the oscillating lever E. As the segment Fis revolubly supported on the lever E, the pin 6 acts as a fulcrum, andthe raising of the link N and forward portion of the said segment causesa corresponding lowering of the rear portion of said segment, andconsequently a downward thrust on the bucket-handle Gand bucket H. Inits ability to feed the bucket normally into the bank with a forceindependent of and additional to the force derived from the thrustingcomponent of the force of the hoisting-cable lies one of the importantadvantages of my machine, for the length of the cut necessary to fillthe bucket, especially in soft material, is thereby materiallyshortened. When the downward thrust of the bucket due to the force ofthe cable is too great, said thrust is diminished by running saidengines P P in the opposite direction, and thereby lowering the link Nrelatively to the oscillating lever E. When it is desired to raise thebucket vertically and directly out of the bank to avoid an obstructionor for any other purpose, the cable D is held fast and the engines P Prun in a direction to lower the link N relatively to the lever E. It isalso a great advantage to be able to thus lift the bucket directly fromthe bank, and in the large machines and in dredges this feature amountsalmost to a necessity. When the bucket-arm is rotated by the cable D andthe bucket moves in a forward direction, the path of said bucket maybecome a circular one about the shaft 1)? as a center by running theengines P P in such a direction and at such a speed that the crank M andoscillating lever E maintain a constant angular relation. It is thusevident that although the mechanism for controlling the bucket-arm isnot a looking device, it may be operated so as to hold the parts of thebucket-arm constantly in the same position relatively to each other. Bymeans of the cable D the bucket-arm may be rotated until the pin d onthe segment F closely approaches the idler 0 thus raising the bucket toa height somewhat above that of the boom B. When the bucket is to bedischarged, it is hoisted to the necessary height by the cable D, andthe boom B is swung laterally by means of the cableb and sluing-circle12*. In orderto gain the exact position desired for discharging, thebucket is then thrust forward or retracted by means of the controllingmechanism in the same manner as the thrusting and raising isaccomplished when the bucket is in a lower position. When the bucket hasbeen discharged, the cable D is paid out, and the weight of the bucketand adjacent portions of its supporting-arm tend to bring said bucketdownward and rearward to a position for taking another cut. The returnof the bucket is facilitated by running the engines P P in such adirection as to lower the crank M, for this not only tends toimpel thebucketarm in the desired direction, but also tends to raise the bucketclear of the bank. If when the cable D is in tension the controllingmechanism be run in such a direction as to draw the bucket directly awayfrom the bank, a portion of the force of said cable and said controllingmechanism will be exerted in opposing directions, entailing a loss ofpower; but in practice this condition seldom occurs. When the cable isin tension and the bucket is being hoisted, if any extraneous force isneeded in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the out suchforce is usually required for the purpose of increasing rather thandecreasing the thrust into the bank, and when the controlling mechanismis increasing the thrust the force of said mechanism is an addition tothe force of the cable. The major portion of the time when the force ofthe controlling mechanism is exerted to raise the bucket away from thebank is during the return stroke, when the cable D is lax.

It is evident that the principal members of the bucket-arm pivotallylinked together virtually constitute a polylateral whose sides aredetermined by the pivotal points a e h f also that the sides of saidpolylateral are of constant length, but may assume various positionsrelatively to each other. The crank M and link N, taken in connectionwith the forward portion of the segment F and the upper portion of theoscillating lever E, are pivotally connected and form a linkworkconstituting a second polylateral whose sides are determined by thepivots d, n, b and e. The

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sides of said second pol ylateral are also of constant length,and achange in the configuration of said second polylateral produces acorresponding change in said first polylateral, and

consequently in the position of the bucket. I

be'located on or controlled from the main body of the excavator. Anymechanism whereby the power of the controlling-engines is made use of tocontrol the configuration of the linked bucket-arm would lie within thespirit of my invention.

IVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an excavator, the combination of a bucket-arm composed of anarticulating linkwork, at least three of the links whereof are of fixedlength, and all of the links whereof are movable about a commonhorizontal axis; and means for controllably varying the position of thelinks of said arm relatively to each other.

2. In an excavator, the combination of a bucket-arm comprising linksarticulatel y connected together, one of said links being pivotallysupported and forming the support for said arm, two links of said armbeing of fixed lengths and articulately connected to saidsupporting-link, means for connecting said last-mentioned links, andmeans for controllably varying the configuration of said bucketarm.

3. In an excavator, a linked bucket-arm pivoted to a suitable support,and provided with a joint between its supporting-pivot and a point ofpower application, whereby a single power-applying device may eitectboth a downward and a forward movement of the bucket; in combinationwith a power-applying device for operating said arm, a support for saidarm, a bucket, a controlling member attached to one of the links of saidarm, and mechanism for operating said controlling member, one of theparts of said operating mechanism having a pivot=bearin g, fixedrelatively to another of the links of said arm.

4. In an excavator, the combination with an articulating linkworkforming a bucketarm, a bucket attached to said arm, a support for saidarm, and a power device for operating said arm, of a controlling-linkattached to one of the links of said bucket-arm, a crank connected withsaid controlling link, and means for operating said crank.

5. In an excavator, a linked bucketarm pivoted to a suitable supportupon a swinging boom and having two longitudinal links, an uppertransverse link, and linked connections to a bucket; a power deviceapplied to said upper transverse link for operating said bucket-arm; alaterally-swinging boom supporting said bucket-arm; and a controllingmechanism, one of the pivots whereof is supported on said boomconcentrically with the pivot supporting said bucket-arm, saidcontrolling mechanism being connected to said transverse link through acrank and auxiliary link whereby said transverse link may be oscillatedby means of said controlling mechanism.

6. In an excavator, the combination of a linked bucket arm pivotallysupported, a power device for operating said arm, a controlling-linkattached to one of the links of said arm, a crank attached to andoperating said controlling-link, a shaft supporting and operating saidcrank, and a controlling-engine and gear operating said shaft andlocated upon a part of said excavator other than said bucket-arm.

7. In an excavator, the combination of a shaft, a laterally-swingingboom supporting said shaft, a linked bucket arm pivotally supported onsaid shaft, a crank secured to said shaft, gear-wheels secured to saidshaft, a link connecting said controlling-lever and said bucket-arm, acontrolling-engine for operating said gears, and a power device foroperatingsaid bucket-arm.

8. In an excavator, the combination of an oscillating lever pivotallysupported, a thrustlink pivotally supported on said lever, two pivotslocated in said thrust-link on opposite sides of the pivot whereby saidthrust-link is supported, a bucket-handle attached to one of the twooppositely-placed pivots on said thrust link, a controlling mechanismattached to the other of the two oppositely-placed pivots on saidthrust-link, a bucket, connections between said bucket and saidoscillating lever, connections between said bucket and saidbucket-handle, and means for applying power to said thrust-link.

9. In an excavator, the combination of a boom, an oscillatingleverpivotally supported upon said boom, a thrust-segment pivotally supportedupon said lever, a cable for trans mitting power from theexcavator-driving engines to said segment, a bucket, connections betweensaid bucket and the rear portion of said thrust-segment, connectionsbetween said bucket and said oscillating lever, a link pivotallyconnected with the forward portion of said thrust segment, a crank foroperating said link, a shaft for operating said controlling lever, gearsfor operating said shaft, engines located on said boom for driving saidgears and means for operating said engines.

10. In an excavator, linked members suitably supported and constitutingtwo polylaterals, wherein two of the sides of the first polylateral areformed by members forming two of the sides of the second polylateral, abucket attached to members forming parts of said second polylateral, apower device for operating the members of said second polylateral, andmeans for controlling the relative positions of the members forming saidfirst polylateral.

11. In an excavator, linked members constituting two quadrilaterals,wherein two of the sides of the first quadrilateral are formed bymembers forming two of the sides of the second quadrilateral, andwherein but a single point is common to the extremities of four of thesides of said quadrilaterals; a boom pivotally supporting one of saidmembers common to both of said quadrilaterals; a bucket attached tomembers forming parts of said second quadrilateral, a power device forop erating the members of said second quadrilocated 011 said crane forcontrolling the conlateral, and means for controlling the relativefiguration of said bucket-arm.

positions of the members forming said first 1 1 quadrilateral I OLAFHETLESAETER. 5 12. In an excavator, the combination of a Witnesses:

crane, a linkwork bucket-arm pivotally sup- W. H. WATKINS,

ported upon said crane, and a power device HOWARD M. COX.

